‘I'm not convinced there has to be a national day’

Race & Racism

Socialist Alliance’s Indigenous Rights spokesperson Sam Watson considers there has been
“a definite strengthening and expansion of the Black political struggle”. Watson was referring to the record-breaking attendance at Invasion Day rallies Jan. 26.

Sam Watson:
‘I'm not convinced there has to be a national day’

Alex Bainbridge
Brisbane
February 2, 2018

'Socialist Alliance’s Indigenous Rights spokesperson Sam Watson considers there has been
“a definite strengthening and expansion of the Black political struggle”.

'Watson was referring to the record-breaking attendance of tens of thousands of people
at Invasion Day rallies around the country on January 26. ...

“We had enormous support from political groups, church groups, community groups and ordinary people from the community. We especially want to acknowledge the strong support from the trade unions, who gave money and marched with us. It was an amazing and uplifting experience.” ... '

'The enormous — some estimate 60,000-strong — Invasion Day rally in Melbourne
was a fitting rejoinder to the conservative campaign pushed by the mainstream media
and politicians in the lead-up to January 26. ...

'“We have not organised this [rally] to change the date,” Tarneen Onus-Williams told the crowd, referring to the debate over whether the call to change the date of Australia Day is adequate.

'“We have organised this to abolish Australia Day because f*** Australia ... I hope it f***ing burns to the ground.”

'WAR — Warriors of Aboriginal Resistance — the Melbourne rally organisers, say the campaign to change the date is a “feel good” gesture, which would do nothing to address the fundamental issues Aboriginal people face today.

'The attack from the conservatives was predictable, but the push back to support Onus-Williams and the other young Indigenous leaders who helped make the biggest rallies for Indigenous rights since the 1970s and 1980s has also been swift.

'The hashtag #IStandwithTarneen went viral on social media and gained support from former Labor MP Nova Peris, musician AB Original and Marcia Langton.

'Onus-Williams said she stood by her comments — which were a metaphor — and which were taken out of context. ... '

'On January 24, Victorian Liberal opposition leader Matthew Guy said “unpatriotic councils” that do not use January 26 to celebrate would be sacked.

'He was specifically threatening the Moreland, Darebin and Yarra councils, which have
shifted celebrations and citizenship ceremonies away from January 26.

'Meriki Onus, a Gunditjmara and Gunnai woman, a co-founder of the Warriors of Aboriginal Resistance (WAR), criticised Guy’s approach, telling Green Left Weekly Radio: “That is dictatorship. Those councils were elected and they made decisions to make political and social statements. To threaten them should be a concern for all of us.
We have to remove and abolish anything that represents Australian nationalism.”

"There is no specific day that can be a true Australia Day"
'One of the founders of the Aboriginal Tent Embassy, Michael Anderson has suggested that there can never be a true Australia which people can celebrate as a nation.

'He suggests that those in leadership roles in Australia need to be honest about the past,
sovereignty issues need to be sorted out and break away from any British connections if any progress needs to be made.'

Radio interview at caama.com.au/news/2018/michael-anderson-there-is-no-specific-one-day-that-can-be-a-truly-australia-day

Amnesty International's Tammy Solonec -"It’s hard for Aboriginal organisations to have a say about Australia Day”
'It is hard for government funded Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander organisations to speak out on the issue.'

"January 26 for us is about putting up with white man's law"
'Arrente woman Pat Ansell Dodds says that January 26th in Australia will always be a day of mourning for Aboriginal Australians, and that it should be changed as soon as possible'

Radio inbterview at caama.com.au/news/2018/pat-ansell-dodds-january-26-for-us-is-about-putting-up-with-white-mans-law

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